The invention relates to a lock for a motor vehicle.
A lock for a motor vehicle comprises a locking mechanism with a rotatably mounted rotary catch for receiving a locking bolt also known as a striker. The locking mechanism moreover comprises a pawl with which the rotary catch may engage for retaining the locking bolt.
The rotary catch of a motor vehicle lock usually comprises a fork-shaped inlet slot (also known as inlet opening) which is formed by the load arm and the rotary catching arm and in which the striker of a vehicle door or hatch, e.g. a hood or a trunk lid, enters when the door or hatch is closed. The locking bolt or striker then turns the rotary catch from an opened position in the direction of the closed position until the pawl engages the rotary catch. This position is referred to as the catching position, also known as fully close stop, in which the locking bolt is retained in the inlet slot of the rotary catch.
In addition, a lock may comprise a blocking lever capable of blocking the pawl in its catching position. The blocking lever has to be pivoted or turned out of its blocking position in order for the pawl to be able to leave its catching position for opening the locking mechanism.
There are locks known in the art (US 2010 052 336 A1) in which the rotary catch is capable of introducing an opening moment into the pawl if the latter is in its catching position. Such a lock requires a blocking lever in order to be able to engage the locking mechanism. These locks facilitate the opening of the locking mechanism.
There are also motor vehicle locks with two catching positions, i.e. a preliminary catching position, also known as intermediate close stop, and a main catching position or fully close stop. The preliminary catching position enables a first catching of a corresponding door or hatch when the latter does not reach the main catching position during a closing procedure. When, starting from the preliminary catching position, the rotary catch is rotated further, the main catching position may be reached.
Generally, a lock comprises a releasing lever which is actuated in order to open or disengage a locking mechanism. Such a releasing lever is typically connected to a handle of a door or hatch. If the handle is operated, the releasing lever is actuated or pivoted correspondingly in order to disengage the locking mechanism and thus open the lock.
In the event of a crash or impact, the handle may be actuated in an unintended manner, which could lead to an unintended opening of the locking mechanism. It should be ensured that such a lock does not open under these circumstances.
In order to prevent an unintended opening of a lock in the event of a crash, a known lock (EP 1 518 983 A2) with a locking mechanism comprises at least one actuating lever for releasing or opening the locking mechanism, i.e. a releasing lever. The lock moreover comprises a blocking lever which blocks the actuating lever during predetermined vehicle accelerations.
In the event of a crash, excessive accelerations may occur when compared with an usual opening procedure. If the actuating lever only blocks at large vehicle accelerations, such as they occur in the event of a crash, an unintended opening of the locking mechanism in the case of a crash can be prevented. In case of an usual actuation of the door handle, the actuating lever is not blocked due to the lack of increased acceleration so that the lock can then be opened.